7968-R2_LSLA_2022_SummerNewsletter_Web

Milfoil Militia Invasive Milfoil Efforts 2022 Coordinators: Pam Wilkinson & Tim Greer

Milfoil Militia Invasive Milfoil Efforts 2022 Coordinators: Pam Wilkinson & Tim Greer

Our Milfoil Militia team consists of several components: a diver to extract the roots from the bottom of the lake feeding it into a suction hose then goes into a trough, flows into gates, and drops into water filtering bags. DEP requires a second certified diver on the boat in case of emergency. This person either is the captain or the second crew that replaces the full milfoil bags with new bags. The program now incorporates a GPS for tracking where we have extracted and recorded onto a map for documentation. This is then sent to DEP for the interim and final reports required at the end of the year. Tim Greer manages the fleet making sure the work boats are ready for the season. He coordinates the crew when they are working Windham and Pam Wilkinson coordinates the north station in Gray.

If you see something suspicious in your area that looks like this plant our rapid response program will come to identify the plant when you have concerns. Last year we responded to many requests. Some were native plants and others we were grateful for the report because it reaped over 50 bags of milfoil in 3 separate areas. Thank you for calling! For more information about invasive plants check out Lake Stewards of Maine visit https://www.lakestewardsofmaine.org or contact us to Adopt your Shoreline and become part of the Invasive Plant Patrol team. You may reach us by emailing pwilkinson@littlesebagolake.com or call 207-809-4706.

How to identify:

Feather-like uniform pattern with leaf 4-6 leaves per whorl 5-14 leaflets on each leaf Bottle brush appearance with green and sometimes red stem. Easily confused with Water Marigold which is native.

When you see this Milfoil Boat with dive flag keep a distance of 200’ to ensure safety for the diver and keep waves from compromising the suction during operation.

Need something to do? Contact pwilkinson@littlesebagolake.com

Volunteer for: ● Milfoil Operation Assistant – Work with a rewarding program ● Become an IPP-Invasive Plant Patroller- Training available ● Scuba divers to retrieve trash from the lake-You might find something fun! ● Environmental Educational program for Kids- Develop fun projects around the lake. ● Become a Courtesy Boat Inspector-Training May 5 th Paid Positions: ● Looking for certified diver for Milfoil-Training available ● College Intern to assist with programs based upon grant funding acceptance

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